Phil wins for third time in four Champions starts

NASSAU, Bahamas — Viktor Hovland won the Hero World Challenge with more excitement than he needed Sunday, clinching it with a 20-foot bogey putt on the final hole for a 3-under 69 to join tournament host Tiger Woods as the only back-to-back winners. Hovland took a four-shot lead at the turn when Masters champion Scottie Scheffler made double bogey on the par-5 ninth. No one got closer than two shots the rest of the way. It just didn’t feel that easy. Hovland had a two-shot lead on the 18th when his 6-iron from the slope above a bunker turned hard left and into the water. He took a penalty drop and hit a full wedge to about 20 feet for a chance to save bogey. Scheffler was in the sandy area right of the green, and his chip ran hard over the lip and settled 10 feet away, giving him a par putt to force a playoff if Hovland missed. Hovland holed the bogey putt for another trophy presentation with Woods. It was far different from a year ago, when he rallied from six shots behind. “It’s frigging nerve-wracking,” Hovland said with a smile. “You’re never that comfortable. I didn’t play that great on the back nine, but it was good enough.” Woods won in 2006 and 2007 when it was held at Sherwood Country Club. He had to withdraw this week with plantar fasciitis in his right foot, instead watching in his Sunday red shirt for some drama no one was expecting. Hovland finished at 16-under 272 and won $1 million. The victory is unofficial, but the world ranking points pushed him up three spots to No. 9. Scheffler needed to win to return to No. 1 in the world. Starting three shots behind, Scheffler holed a pitch from 30 yards short of the green on the par-5 sixth hole for eagle to reach 14-under par and momentarily tie for the lead. Hovland was in trouble off the tee, had to play a blind shot over a 20-foot high dune and then holed an 18-foot birdie putt to stay one ahead. The next hole was pivotal, the 18th notwithstanding. Scheffler’s pitch from the bottom of the fairway on the short par-4 seventh barely got onto the green and rolled into the bunker, leading to bogey. Hovland was on the edge of a bunker and chipped to 5 feet for birdie and a two-shot swing, restoring his lead to three. Scheffler’s double bogey on the ninth, which culminated with a three-putt from about 15 feet, left him five shots behind. Cameron Young made a strong bid and got within two shots at one point until he took bogey on the 16th. Xander Schauffele also made an early run until that ended with a bogey on the par-5 16th. Scheffler ran off three straight birdies through the 16th hole to get within two shots, and Hovland gave him an opening on the 18th until he closed it with the big putt. “I made it a little more exciting, I guess,” Hovland said with a smile. Scheffler’s goal was to get within one shot before the 18th. He didn’t quite reach that, but he still had a chance. “I said earlier in the week that I don’t like finishing second,” said Scheffler, a runner-up in the Bahamas for the second straight year who had his third runner-up finish this year. “It’s not a good feeling right now. But I’m proud of the fight.” Scheffler still heads into the holidays with a breakthrough year behind him — the Masters among his four PGA TOUR wins, No. 1 in the world longer than anyone else this year, the PGA TOUR player of the year. Young had a 68 and finished alone in third, followed by Schauffele (68) and Justin Thomas, who had five birdies in a six-hole stretch on the back nine to salvage a poor start and close with 70 to finish fifth. “It’s only 20 players, but it’s the best 20 players in the world,” Hovland said. “You’ve got to play your best to win.”

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When the surname of the golfer with the greatest impact on this generation, Tiger Woods, also is the name of the clubs used to hit the ball the furthest, it’s tough to impress the fans who have the pulse of oddities, coincidences and quirks in the sport. Yet, the 3M Open is one first name away from doing just that. 3M originally is known as the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, but the name of the shortest title sponsor of a PGA TOUR event soon could be associated with something a little different. This is the third edition of the 3M Open and the first two winners were Matthew Wolff and Michael Thompson, respectively. As of Monday, there are only 14 golfers in the field of 156 at TPC Twin Cities with “M” as the initial of the first name by which they want to be known, including both former champions. (For example, Mito is a nickname for Guillermo Pereira.) So, if any is superstitious and open to the possibility, he’ll appreciate the funky trend upon arrival. For more on how TPC Twin Cities will test and other analysis, continue reading beneath the projected contenders. RELATED: How the field qualified | The First Look POWER RANKINGS: 3M OPEN Tuesday’s Fantasy Insider will include reviews of defending champion Michael Thompson, Patrick Reed, Sergio Garcia, Rickie Fowler and other notables. Since the Travelers Championship in late June, and as is the experience every summer, the recent lineup of courses testing full fields on the PGA TOUR gives every member targeting a coveted spot in the FedExCup Playoffs a fair and consistent opportunity to get the job done. TPC Twin Cities and the 3M Open has slipped into this cadence like it’s always been there, lock step with the others. The par 71 tips at 7,431 yards. After debuting to a scoring average of 69.455 in 2019, numerous modifications were made to toughen the track. They seem to work because last year’s scoring was almost a half-shot higher at 69.948, but gusty winds in the second round were responsible. The opening round was only 0.14 strokes higher, and the third and final rounds scored lower than the inaugural. With no changes to the course, this week’s forecast supports a return to a redder number. No worse than light winds are expected throughout the tournament and they’ll do little to cool air that will warm well into the 90s. Rain might fall later on Friday and/or on Saturday, but an extended delay would be surprising. Bentgrass greens right around a TOUR-average of 6,500 square feet are ready to roll up to 12-and-a-feet on the Stimpmeter. Primary rough once again will be trimmed to three-and-a-half inches. Like all of the courses hosting opens of the last few weeks, the setup at TPC Twin Cities favors hitting greens and sinking putts. Michael Thompson’s primary weapon always has been his putter, so it was not at all shocking that he paced the 2020 field in Strokes Gained: Putting. He also ranked T3 in greens hit (15 per round) to lay the groundwork for his 72-hole aggregate of 19-under 265, but he also slotted second in scrambling (10 of 12). Inside 10 feet alone, he was 61-for-64. ROB BOLTON’S SCHEDULE PGATOUR.COM’s Fantasy Insider Rob Bolton recaps and previews every tournament from numerous angles. Look for his following contributions as scheduled. MONDAY: Power Rankings TUESDAY*: Sleepers; Fantasy Insider SUNDAY: Qualifiers, Reshuffle, Medical Extensions, Rookie Watch * – Rob is a member of the panel for PGATOUR.COM’s Expert Picks for PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf, which also publishes on Tuesday.

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Simpson breaks out to take Colonial lead

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